Our take
When artists or musical bands make films, it’s usually a tour documentary or a biopic of some sort, where fans can go in depth with their music, their background, or anything that would explain what makes their music so great. When Talking Heads’ lead vocalist David Byrne made a film, it wasn’t about his hometown in Maryland or his birthplace in Scotland at all– Instead, it was about True Stories, compiling a series of vignettes in a fictional North Texan town. It’s a strange choice, but Byrne manages to capture the bizarre in ordinary small town America, that can get a bit surreal, but nonetheless holds a weird charm that’s excellently scored by the band. True Stories came out of nowhere, but it’s a decent watch.
Synopsis
A small but growing Texas town, filled with strange and musical characters, celebrates its sesquicentennial and converge on a local parade and talent show.
Storyline
The fictional town of Virgil, Texas are gearing up for their 150th anniversary, and as they do so, a cowboy-hat wearing, cherry-red drop-top car cruising narrator introduces the strange and musical residents there.
TLDR
David Byrne, why didn't you direct more films?
What stands out
The music, of course.